Genealogy Hack: Sourcing Your Scans

Michael John Neill has written several times this week about recording the sources of documents that have been photocopied (or printed from microfilm) and subsequently scanned. He makes three good suggestions:

1. Write the source on the original before scanning (in black, not green ink).
2. Use photoediting software to type the source onto the scanned image.
3. Include the source info in the image's file name.

Probably the best option is 1 or 2 and 3. File names are not always included with printouts, so that is a limitation of only using option three. Including the source in the file name (along with the name of the person on the scan), makes it easier to search the hard drive or media for specific words or phrases.

Me, I usually do both 1 and 3. You might also consider treating your scans like photographs and adding the source info as metadata. Metadata is embedded in the image file, and can be viewed using a variety of applications. For how-tos and caveats, see these articles:

• JLog - IPTC
• About Genealogy - Labeling Photos with IPTC
• Digital Cameras and Genealogy - Digitally Labelling Photos

A "genealogy hack" is a tip or trick that solves a specific problem and increases one's productivity as a genealogist, whether online or out in the real world. If you have a hack to share, submit it here or send it to hacks [at] genealogue.com.